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Post by Companero on Jul 5, 2007 22:25:32 GMT
In the new issue of Total Film, there's a rather splendid interview with Malcolm McDowell. During the banter, he's asked what he think of the current state of the British film industry:
Total Film: So there's no British film industry to speak of:
Malcolm McDowell: No! Nothing!
TF: What about people like Shane Meadows?
MM: Oh, yes, he's terrific. He's the one, god bless him. And Neil Marshall (director of THE DESCENT and the upcoming DOOMSDAY in which McDowell stars). Everywhere else it's fucking costume dramas. Where are the people shaking it up? It's all Jane Austen movies. I'd rather slit my wrists than watch that!
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Post by jill on Jul 5, 2007 23:16:23 GMT
In the new issue of Total Film, there's a rather splendid interview with Malcolm McDowell. During the banter, he's asked what he think of the current state of the British film industry: Total Film: So there's no British film industry to speak of: Malcolm McDowell: No! Nothing! TF: What about people like Shane Meadows? MM: Oh, yes, he's terrific. He's the one, god bless him. And Neil Marshall (director of THE DESCENT and the upcoming DOOMSDAY in which McDowell stars). Everywhere else it's fucking costume dramas. Where are the people shaking it up? It's all Jane Austen movies. I'd rather slit my wrists than watch that! Well yes, good that he's saying the right things about Shane, but looking back to the Robert Carlyle thread, it sort of concerns me that our 'home grown talents' are constructing this 'apart from Merchant Ivory made for US audiences crap, British cinema is dead' discourse. Sorry to drone on, but we did have London to Brighton (brilliant) too this year and Red Road (not great, but worth the admission fee). I'm not sure what the message is here...we're suffering from a lack of talent....or we have talent and the great shame is that talented people are not being funded? I wish these 'opinion formers' would be less ambiguous/clearer in the message they're sending  |
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Post by Patty Dawes on Jul 6, 2007 8:20:24 GMT
I agree that the comments about Shane are great but as for the British film industry comments I think it needs to be pointed out that the Interviews are with two actors who used to be very "hot".
The subtext of the questions seems to be:
Interviewer: So why have you not been in any great films recently?
Superstar actor: Well because the British film industry's shit, it's got nothing to do with me only reading scripts for films that can garuntee my $5million fee.
I to think that there is still some really exciting stuff made in this country. I think we are at our best when we make films about British characters for a British audience and don't go chasing the American dollar. And you don't need/can't afford to have stars in these films, hence the bitterness. I saw Andy Serkis watching a short film by a new director at a screening in Soho not long ago. I bet he doesn't think the British film Industry's crap because he's going out embracing and encouraging the new talent not sitting in a castle waiting for Trainspotting 2 to fall on his door mat.
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Post by Companero on Jul 6, 2007 8:42:50 GMT
I think had this interview been conducted 12-15 years ago, McDowell would have had a valid point about the industry. After the demise of Palace Pictures in 1991, Merchant Ivory was the only other prolific company making "British Film". Today is different. There's been a steady flow of decent homegrown films over the past 10 years - certainly enough diverse programming to dispell what McDowell and Carlysle are saying. Who would have thought a British-made, £20m action/comedy would have been possible back in the mid 90s? But that's exactly what Pegg and Wright churned out this year.
I only started this thread because I thought it was nice that Shane was getting name-checked by an icon of British Cinema. I didn't really think about his throw-away comments about the industry, to be honest...
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Post by Patty Dawes on Jul 6, 2007 8:55:17 GMT
No I agree mate, it was good to read Shane getting some credit and I'm going to buy the mag to read the full interview. Maybe it's because I live down south where everybody's soft but when I mention Shane Meadows I still get Shane who? so to hear him getting such a plug in the mainstream is great news.
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Post by DeLarge on Jul 6, 2007 11:30:06 GMT
Good Stuff! I've just got my IF... criterion dvd through as well.
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Post by Companero on Jul 6, 2007 13:20:19 GMT
Good Stuff! I've just got my IF... criterion dvd through as well. It's a great DVD eh, DeLarge. I've still not listened to the commentary but the episode of 'cast and Crew' that's on the second disc is superb. |
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Post by DeLarge on Jul 6, 2007 19:08:34 GMT
Yeah its a nice set, only had a brief fumble hoping to sit down Sunday and give it a proper viewing.
Hopefully a decent DVD of A Clockwork Orange and O'Lucky Man will follow soon.
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Post by RydCook on Jul 7, 2007 0:14:57 GMT
I think there is plenty of good talent. Just no-one's funding it.
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Post by chipsteak on Jul 9, 2007 6:07:51 GMT
"I think there is plenty of good talent. Just no-one's funding it." And even if it does its only seen by a relatively small amount of people. There was a time when Hollywood didn't release a dozen films every bloody week and take up all the space in mainstream cinemas - not to mention all the media time - and other films could get a look-in. I've resigned myself to the fact that, as time goes on, i have to wade thru more and more shite to find decent stuff - but thats not fair on the artists or the punter who doesn't have the time or inclination. Purely off the top of my head, if 'Scum' was released today it would only be shown in indie theatres. Good to see TIE broke thru and got in the top ten tho.  |
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Post by bigboyjim on Jul 11, 2007 21:19:02 GMT
I can't believe that IF is out on DVD. Of course, had it not been for that film, we wouldn't have Alex and his droogs. Viddy well, brother, viddy well.
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